@JaceyK that was one the most interesting things to me that you could still play sports in college at a CC! Our local one has a lot of teams that compete within their division.
I accept most of the reasons being argued here, but if youre telling me that youre willing to fork over tens of thousands of dollars just for an “experience” just take a bloody vacation or something. Youre missing the point of college if thats what your priority is. Most opportunities like clubs, study abroad, dedicated teachers, and high performing students can also be found in a CC if you know where to look. Ok maybe not every CC. But most.
@steffenberr As you get more experience in life, hopefully you’ll discover that humans and their priorities are different - and that’s ok. Folks choose to spend their $$ on all sorts of things and it’s that variety that keeps our world operating. Even with travel some like Disney, others like National Parks - then there’s everything in between.
Our lads were raised knowing a 4 year college degree was the minimum level education we wanted for them in the same way many folks feel 12th grade is the minimum. We don’t give a hoot if they end up using their degree or not - that’s up to them. They were raised knowing how much we loved college and couldn’t wait to have their own experiences. They enjoyed them. If we chose to spend money on it and you don’t, so what? It merely means we’re different. Your “point of college” differs from our “point of college.”
We spend $$ on traveling too - mostly National Park travelers. My avatar is our travel life from scuba diving to mountain hiking. It’s ok if your preferences differ. It really is.
@Creekland I think it’s only not OK when parents tout a dream to kids and the kids become saddled with crushing debt. I agree that people will and should have different paths, but the student debt crisis is partially being fueled by counselors, parents, teachers, etc. not really being straight with students about the benefits and costs of attending that dream school. I used to work in college access and the “dream” is choking young people who are not wealthy. I volunteer in a school where each homeroom has the name of a university most the kids in the school will never be able to afford. Every single one of these universities has a dual admissions agreement with our local CC which could save the kids thousands of dollars in debt. But that never gets mentioned. That’s the part that gets me riled up.
@CCtoAlaska I totally agree about crushing debt. I think our area is more aware of that, or at least our students and parents are. We don’t live in a wealthy area. There’s very little desire to keep up with the Jones’, or maybe I should just say the bar isn’t set very high to be able to keep up. Perhaps that’s why it’s far more common around here to make sure things are affordable or come with reasonable debt. What tends to get students around here (financially) are some of the for profit trade schools, but at least a few of those have been put out of business. Their sales pitches had me seething, but the school couldn’t block them.
I’m definitely not anti-debt. H had student loans when he graduated. We paid them off in 5 years and have been reaping the benefits ever since. I’m just as definitely anti-high-debt. There’s a balance. Many students (not all) can find something workable, esp if they have decent grades. I wish all (who wanted to) could.
@Creekland that is also a cultural thing. It’s a huge cultural thing to want to reach for the stars with no sense of what that actually means and there are tons of nonprofits and schools that really perpetuate a lot of the mythology around elite schools and name brand educations while looking away when all of their students are offered loan-only packages.
I mainly wish our state would have more affordable in state options. That would be a huge benefit to our citizens, esp those who stretch to pay for college. Shipp (still expensive, but less than others) is starting an engineering program, but it will be a long time before it gets the recognition from employers Penn St has. I know you mention Drexel a lot, but few in my area like that school due to it’s “urban-ness.” It’s also been rather expensive. Temple has worked for a few, but still has the urban vibe many more rural students don’t like. Pitt saves its merit money for very top students and OOS. Penn St offers very little…
Our good students often get nice aid packages from private schools. Even my own tippy top lad got a better offer from his private OOS school than from Pitt.
Then there’s med school. Not a single good option cost-wise in state there either for us (in PA). That’s where my guy is taking on significant loans that make me very wary. Fortunately he’s smart enough to be considering practicing in places that assist with loans when the time comes. I like PA, but when it comes to helping educate our populace, we have a lot lacking when it comes to helping folks pay for it.
Well said
My state has agreements with most of the public universities. If you do two years at the CC, you’re granted admission automatically.
At my local CC, most of the professors hold PhDs. I agree, CCs are undervalued.
I have a great story about a CC prof. A few years ago one of our friends kids attended the University of Pittsburgh. He did not hold his end of the bargain and because of poor grades had to leave school. The next fall his parents had him enroll in the Community College of Allegheny College. Guess what…he had the same professor!!! No kidding. The same economics prof at Pitt was also teaching at CCAC. Pitt credit cost was around $700/credit and CCAC’s was around $100/credit. The inflated costs are ridiculous…and we keep paying them.
@Creekland it is generally a lot harder for rural students than urban students to figure out getting to college. I think overall there is an uptick in interest in urban schools but it’s probably driven more by urban and suburban students rejecting the bucolic idyll than it is by rural students. I mention Drexel a lot because my daughter has taken a few classes there and I used to have professional relationships with different departments. It’s where I’ve heard the most $$ sob stories because it’s just so expensive. If they cut financial aid after the first year, it’s easy to get very stuck. I hope your son is enjoying med school. The loans will be worth it in the end, barring tragedy. The money aspect in PA is really, really hard.
@CCtoAlaska This doesn’t surprise me (the sob stories). Drexel rarely comes back affordable. Some students still look at it if touring the area, but it’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone say they like it after comparing other schools. If they kept it as an option, finances almost always nixed it. I’ve always chalked it up to our rural area (major urban factor being a negative) and so many students around here needing decent aid.
I live in Texas and we have some junior colleges that have dorms which allows students to have a normal college experience. They are great for marginal students who decide they want to go to college. They make the transition to a four year university much easier. They are a great option for many students.
@Grainraiser I know of at least one cc here in PA that has dorms for domestic students (Northampton). Our local one is building one but I think it’s more oriented towards international students’ needs.
@Creekland, my friend’s daughter attends Drexel. She likes it a lot. She wants to become a physical therapist, and I guess it’s an excellent school for that. She also likes their internship program. The weird schedule makes it difficult for her to connect with her college-aged friends, though.
A buddy from high school and law partner with my bil has this track. Local cc for two years. Two years at northeastern for ba. Then onto Georgetown Law for JD. He wasn’t a kid without options or family resources, he wasn’t first gen and good grades. He just wasn’t sure what he wanted, was very practical about his finances.
So for many reasons it can be an excellent option.
@privatebanker a lot of time it’s the kids with resources that do well on this track because they can keep their head straight and follow through on transfer requirements, etc.
Makes sense. They weren’t the Vanderbilt family by any measure. Just a solid family from a working class city/town. He definately didn’t have to worry about his food on the table, bus fare or child care. So I think you are right.
CC student here.
I wanted to go back and finish school and after 20 years off (ouch), CC was a great way to re-learn how to learn, and save about 40 grand in tuition.
Plus, the credits I’m taking will transfer to the 4-year institution when I hopefully get in next fall.
@MaineLonghorn Since 25000+ students go to Drexel, it has to end up as #1 for quite a few students each year.
What I “report” comes from comments and FA letters from students at our school. Some go to look. Of those, many are turned off by their location (probably magnified by our being rural and Drexel most definitely isn’t) and of those who don’t mind + apply and are accepted, the finances are rarely the best option they get. This could be swayed by our being in PA if they’re like Pitt and want geographical diversity. It’s been a few years since we’ve had a student actually go there.
Our school doesn’t discourage students from any school interest they have, but of course word gets around with who is better with acceptances and finances. Acceptances are fine with Drexel. Finances haven’t been. Of the co-op schools, RIT isn’t really awesome with finances either, but it tends to be the preferred co-op school for many in our area even though it’s a bit further away from home.